2924 Senator
O’Brien: To ask the Minister for Finance and Administration—With
reference to accidents involving motor vehicles leased or owned by the
department for the department’s use or for use by other departments
or government agencies, for each of the financial years 2004-05 and
2005-06, what was the: (a) make; (b) model; (c) year of manufacture;
and (d) safety rating under the Australian New Car Assessment Program,
for vehicles involved in accidents causing the death or injury requiring
hospitalisation of government employees.

2925 Senator
O’Brien: To ask the Minister for Finance and Administration—With
reference to accidents involving motor vehicles leased or owned by the
department for the department’s use or for use by other departments
or agencies, for each of the financial years 2004-05 and 2005-06:

(1) How
many accidents occurred on: (a) official business; and (b) during private
use.

(2) How many people involved in these
accidents who were injured and required hospitalisation were: (a) government
employees, or (b) other persons.

(3) How
many people involved in these accidents who died as a result were: (a) government
employees; or (b) other persons.

(4) How
many Comcare claims are: (a) finalised; and (b) pending.

(5) How
many staff days have been lost as a result of these motor vehicle accidents.

(6) How
many supplementary restraint systems were deployed in vehicles involved
in these accidents.

2927 Senator
Carr: To ask the Minister representing the Minister for Local
Government, Territories and Roads—With reference to the abolition
of the Regional Flood Mitigation Program (RFMP):

(1) On
what date was the RFMP abolished and incorporated into the Natural Disaster
Management Program (NDMP).

(2) Can
the Minister explain all the reasons behind this decision to close down
a successful, long-term program that directly linked the Commonwealth
Government with local government.

(3) Can
the Minister explain the benefit of abolishing the RFMP which was a
program directed toward long-term preventative and planning measures
and incorporating its funding within the NDMP which is a program that
is necessarily involved with many more reactive activities.

(4) Did
the proposal to conclude the RFMP and incorporate it into the NDMP originate
from a Commonwealth department or agency; if so, on what date; if not:
(a) who made the suggestion; and (b) on what date.

(5) (a)
Which agencies and individuals were consulted as part of the decision
to abolish the RFMP; and (b) can a list be provided of all Commonwealth,
state and local government organisations and agencies that were consulted.

(6) Were
any other individuals or organisations consulted as part of this process;
if so, can full details be provided.

(7) Can
full details be provided of how it is proposed to integrate the two
different programs in practice.

(8) Can
the Minister guarantee that there will be no decline in funding for
floodplain management as a result of the integration of these two programs.

(9) For
each of the financial years 2002-03 to 2007-08, can a comparative table
be provided, showing the real and notional (for 2007-08) allocations
in New South Wales for floodplain management under the RFMP and more
recently the NDMP.

(10) Can
the Minister confirm that all projects currently under way, such as
the Taminda Levee project at Tamworth, will be funded through to completion.

(11) Can
the Minister confirm that all such current projects will receive Commonwealth
funding equivalent to what they would have received under the RFMP.

(12) Since
changes to the RFMP and the NDMP funding in 2000 that placed a greater
financial burden on local government, how many councils have indicated
that they could not afford their contributions.

(13) Is this the principal reason
for the adoption by the Council of Australian Governments of ‘exceptional
circumstances’ for financial assistance under these programs.

(14) What
are the criteria for eligibility for assistance under these ‘exceptional
circumstances’.

(15) What
is the process by which these criteria have been developed.

(16) Who
was involved in or consulted as part of this process.

(17) Who
will determine when ‘exceptional circumstances’ apply.

(18) (a)
Does an acceptance of ‘exceptional circumstances’ mean that a standard
of relief will apply to all such applications; or (b) will additional
relief be provided on a case by case basis; if so, what measures have
been put in place to ensure both transparency and equity in the application
of ‘exceptional circumstances’.

2928 Senator
Conroy: To ask the Minister for Communications, Information Technology
and the Arts—

(1) Can
the Minister explain why the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s
(ABC) annual report for 2005-06 does not contain the graph, contained
in previous annual reports, of the ABC’s operational appropriation
in real terms compared with the 1985-86 financial year.

(2) With
reference to a statement by the ABC at the supplementary budget estimates
hearing of the Environment, Communications, Information Technology and
the Arts Legislation Committee on 31 October 2005 (Committee Hansard,
p. 83) that at the time the ABC had $51 million less in real terms to
make programs than in the 1995-96 financial year: (a) can an update
be provided on this figure; (b) how much funding will the ABC receive
from the Commonwealth to make programs for the 2006-07 financial year;
and (c) in real terms, what is the equivalent figure for the 1995-96
financial year.

2929 Senator
Webber: To ask the Minister representing the Treasurer—

(1) Did
the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) ever place any
restrictions, formally or informally, on Mr Murray Nugent or the companies
he was involved with, specifically Reward Insurance Ltd and Australian
Home Warranty Pty Ltd, on writing licensed builder home warranty insurance
(LBHWI) from 1 July 1999 onwards.

(2) Can
the Minister confirm that Mr Nugent continued to write LBHWI through
Rewards Insurance Ltd after 1 July 1999.

(3) Can
the Minister confirm that APRA has the power to disqualify an individual
from holding roles within the Australian insurance industry; if so,
why has APRA never moved to disqualify Mr Nugent from operating in the
insurance industry.

(4) If
Reward Insurance Ltd was under the minimum capital requirements for
insurance companies from 2001 onwards, why did not APRA shut the company
down.

(5) Can
an outline be provided of all investigations, recommendations and directions
undertaken and instigated into Reward Insurance Ltd since 1999 by: (a)
APRA; and (b) the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).

(6) Can the Minister confirm that
investigations by APRA and ASIC into Reward Insurance Ltd and Mr Nugent
have stalled since May 2005; if so, why.